This invention relates to a disposable diaper for absorption and containment of excrement.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1996-280739A describes a disposable diaper comprising a pants-shaped outer sheet and an absorbent panel attached to an inner surface of the outer sheet. The absorbent panel longitudinally extends across a crotch region of the outer sheet into front and rear waist regions. This absorbent panel comprises a liquid-pervious sheet, a liquid-impervious sheet and an absorbent member disposed between these two sheets. When this disposable diaper is worn by a wearer, the outer sheet which is elastically stretchable in a direction surrounding the wearer's waist region causes the absorbent panel to fit close to the wearer's body.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1996-38546A describes a pants-type disposable diaper provided on an inner side of the pants with an absorbent pad structure which longitudinally extends across a crotch region of the pants into front and rear waist regions. This absorbent pad structure comprises a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and an absorbent member disposed between these two sheets. When this diaper is worn, elastically stretchable side sheets provided on the pants cause the absorbent pad structure to fit close to the wearer's body.
In diapers that generally comprise a pants-type cover member and a body fluid absorbent member attached to an inner side of the cover member, like those described in the above Publications, the absorbent member has a liquid-pervious topsheet intended to be fit to a wearer's skin, a backsheet opposed to the topsheet and an absorbent core disposed between these two sheets wherein the backsheet is covered with the pants-type cover member. When such a diaper is worn, the pants-type cover member is pressed against the backsheet of the absorbent member which is thereby pressed against a wearer's skin. In this manner, the backsheet of the absorbent member is covered with the relatively thick pants-type cover member, so air permeability of the diaper may be reduced even if an air permeable and liquid-impervious sheet is used as the backsheet. As a result, the wearer's skin against which this absorbent member is pressed may suffer from an uncomfortable stuffiness. Such a problem may occur not only with a pants-type cover member but also with an open-type cover member.